Here’s my mantra: ‘Every mile is a gift.’

Motivation is a skill. It can be learned and practiced.

To get to the finish line, you'll have to try lots of different paths.

I always tell beginning runners: Train your brain first. It's much more important than your heart or legs.

The most powerful lesson you can learn in running? You're capable of much more than you think.

It's wrong to believe that you need a certain physical body type to run. All body types can run. It's not about your legs, muscles, or cellulite. It's not about the physical side of things. If you train your brain, your body will follow. It's that simple. The hard part isn't getting your body in shape. The hard part is getting your mind in shape.

We have all learned everything we know physically—from walking to running a marathon—by trial and error, so there's no reason to become our own worst enemies when we suffer a setback. From time to time everyone falls short of their goals. It's an illusion to believe that champions succeed because they do everything perfectly. You can be certain that every archer who hits the bull's-eye has also missed the bull's-eye a thousand times while learning the skill.